Latin

Whether interested in law, medicine, politics, literature, or history, students will be able to expand their minds and develop their critical faculties by walking in the footsteps of the greatest authors of the western tradition. Latin is a challenging subject on both an intellectual and ethical level, necessitating engagement with fundamental aspects of society and psychology as well as the complexities of the language. Students will develop a strong sense of education being more than what goes on in the classroom; it is how it is used it in everyday interactions as well as later on in life.

The A level course is 50% unseen translation and comprehension, 50% set text. The authors include Tacitus and Cicero for the prose, and Virgil and Ovid for the verse. This course allows students to develop competence in the language as well as a sensitive and analytical approach to language generally. In addition, students gain an awareness of the influence of classical languages on the languages of today and of their distinctive modes of expression. They also read, understand and make informed personal responses to literature in its original language and within its historical and cultural context. Students practise expressing themselves with precision and achieve fluency in the use of argument, gaining communication skills that are highly valued by employers. Sixth form students are encouraged to participate in our foreign trips, museum days, and theatre visits to enrich their knowledge with first-hand experience of the classical world.

For further information on the department’s activities please visit our Twitter page: @StGabsClassics

Visitors to St Gabriel's quickly recognise that this is no ordinary school. Parents are always impressed by the sense of purpose and enthusiasm of the talented, committed staff and the confidence of the extremely happy pupils. We offer girls the opportunity for a seamless journey from Nursery through to Sixth Form, with our boys leaving us at the age of 11 for their senior schools.